Province Changes View Of Housing In La Ronge

Province Changes View Of Housing In La Ronge

Thursday, August 03, 2006 at 14:46

A provincial cabinet minister says an expansion of an affordable housing program in northern Saskatchewan announced earlier this week is the result of a change in government policy.

Community Resources Minister Buckley Belanger says until now, La Ronge, Air Ronge, Creighton and Denare Beach had been treated like southern communities when it came to housing.

But Belanger says the province couldn’t ignore that those centres are situated in the North where housing is scarce, and that’s why potential home owners in those communities are being given a shot at a one-time forgiveable equity loan.

Depending on household income and the cost of the home purchased, the forgiveable loans can be as high as $19,500.

The province also announced this week that potential homeowners in the North can earn as much as $62,000 and still qualify for this program. Previously, the maximum income limit was just under $50,000.